Keeping Connected with Cricket this Holiday Season #STSA

As the holidays approach, we are getting really excited! Thanksgiving and Christmas are some of our favorite times of the year. The weather here in Buffalo gets colder, and if we are lucky, we get a white Christmas. For us, these are the magical times of winter with family, fun and food before the long months of January and February have us sick to death of the white stuff! Whatever holidays you celebrate with your family, I’m sure they are just as special.

For my husband and me, though, holidays can also be a little bittersweet. I don’t have an extended family to speak of, and Tory’s family lives a long way away in Oklahoma. While he usually gets to see them at least once over the holiday season, his mom, dad, brother and grandfather often miss a lot of those special family moments. We are always looking for new ways to connect with them, especially during the holiday season. After all, we don’t want them to miss ANYTHING special.

While it may not be quite like seeing those cheery smiles in person, Cricket Wireless is helping families connect this holiday season, and as a bonus, they can make your holiday shopping super easy! Starting November 13 until January 7, 2016, you can find great deals online and in stores when you switch to Cricket Wireless. You can get the Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime™ for $29.99 after activation of a qualifying plan.* (Pre-rebate price $79.99 (switchers only). With the Galaxy Grand Prime, you’re sure to capture ALL the silly smiles you need to send to family! Or, you can choose from four 4G LTE smartphones for FREE** after a mail-in rebate Cricket VISA Promotion Card.

You can choose from a wide variety of premium brand devices that you can connect to on Cricket’s nationwide network, and with the Group Save discount, you can save up to $100 a month when you add eligible lines—and trust us, you would be your teenager’s hero if you got them their own Cricket phone this holiday season! And you don’t have to worry about coverage—Cricket covers 98 percent of Americans and has more 4G LTE coverage than Sprint, T-Mobile, or MetroPCS. This helps make sure that whether you are home opening presents on Christmas Eve or out cutting down a Christmas tree, you’ll be able to send photos and videos to your loved ones without interruptions in service! Another fun thing we do is take pictures on our smartphone and then send little photo books out every so often. It’s a nice way to help Grandma and Grandpa remember those special moments without having to go back through their cell phone!

Whichever phone you choose, your family is sure to be happy with their ability to stay in touch with you this holiday season! Also, don’t forget handwritten notes from the little ones—it’s nice to have something for the family to put on the fridge!

How do you connect with your family and friends during the holiday season?

One lucky Parent Palace reader is going to get to take home a new friend, Barry! Meet your new sidekick Barry, part of the Cricket Family. He loves skydiving, soft serve, but most of all, selfies. With hair like that, can you blame him? We hope Barry gives you something to smile about. #STSA. Come back every day to enter on the Rafflecopter. 48 contiguous US Only. 18+ to enter

* Offer ends 01/07/16. While supplies last. Must submit rebate form by 2/6/16. New lines only. Req’s min. $40/mo. smartphone plan. Excludes ports from AT&T. Phone price and tax due at sale. Void in CT, RI, and Miami-Dade County, FL. Activation fee: up to $25. Cricket VISA Promotion Card: issued by MetaBank®, member FDIC, or CenterState Bank of Florida, NA pursuant to license from VISA U.S.A. Inc. Card is not redeemable for cash and may not be used for cash withdrawal at any cash-dispensing locations or at automated gasoline pumps. Card is non-transferable and non-refundable. Funds are available at US locations where VISA debit cards are accepted for 150 days after the Card issuance, through the “VALID THRU” shown on the Card. Must be active and in good standing & make 2nd svc payment within 45 days of activation to receive Card. Customer could cancel anytime, but if not active for 45 days and does not make second service payment, will not qualify for rebate offer. Limit: 5 Cards per household. Restrictions & other charges apply. Svc not avail. everywhere. Offer subject to change & may be terminated at any time without notice. For cardholder agreement and complete terms and conditions, please visit http:/mycrk.it/RebateTerms

** Valid 11/13/15 – 01/07/16 on Motorola Moto E ($49.99), ZTE Overture 2 ($39.99), LG Risio ($29.99), and Nokia Lumia 635 ($19.99). While supplies last. Submit rebate form by 2/6/16. Must port number from another carrier (excludes AT&T ports) and activate new smartphone plan (min $40/mo). Phone price/ tax due at sale. Void in CT, RI, and Miami-Dade County, FL. Promotion Card, issued by MetaBank®, member FDIC, or CenterState Bank of Florida, NA pursuant to license from VISA U.S.A. Inc., is not redeemable for cash & may not be used for cash withdrawal at any cash-dispensing locations or at automated gasoline pumps. Card may be used to pay for your wireless bill. Card valid where VISA debit cards are accepted for 150 days after Card issuance. Must be active & in good standing for 45 days. Must make 2nd service payment w/i 45 days of activation. Limit 5 offers per household. Allow up to 8 wks for fulfillment. Restocking fee up to $25 may apply. In-store activation fee up to $25 may apply. Other charges & restr’s apply. Offer subject to change & may be terminated at any time without notice. For Card terms, visit http:/mycrk.it/RebateTerms.

I would be so lost with out my smart phone!! When we travel we use it to keep our friends and family up to date on what we are up to and share out photos as well. Cricket wireless sounds like great cell phone service.

Being able to send precious family moments to your non-local family members is really one of my favorite things about smartphones, especially this time of year. I never thought about printing little photo books to hand out. That’s a great idea! It’s something extra to put in the envelopes with the greeting cards.

It is good to connect with family via cellphone when cross country trips are impossible. Safety, security and connecting with family and friends no matter where you are is also vital. It is nice to know that Cricket Wireless offers this coverage at an affordable price and has group discounts. Thanks for informing me about this service.

I am seriously considering going to a service where I don’t need to sign my life away. Phones can be so expensive so this is great! My family lives here in Florida with me so we get to spend every holiday together but I can see how important it is to feel connected with loved ones that are farther away,

I know how hard it is to be away from your family. I am thankful for the new technological inventions that help subside our feeling of loneliness. I am thinking about Cricket Wireless when connecting with my loved ones.

I’ve seen the advertisements that make Cricket Wireless seem like a much more affordable wireless plan. My plan with my current provider is so expensive and with all the technology of today I don’t see why it needs to be so costly!

Staying connected is so important. I have a small family but I try to stay connected as much as I can. Life is too short not to enjoy it and spend it with our loved ones! I love talking to my mom and brother even though I can’t see them as much as i’d like. I have always liked the plans offered my cricket as well as the phones. =)